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Why would you install the highest power CCS station in the world in the public at your most popular charging location?
That's only going to frustrate and confuse end users.
EVgo and ABB install first 150 kW fast charger in US, with potential upgrade to 350 kW
EVgo, the US’ largest network of public electric vehicle (EV) fast charging stations, and ABB have deployed the US’ first ABB High-Power fast charging station in Fremont, California. The High-Power fast charging system features a maximum charging rate of 150kW—providing a charge which is three t...
Thicker cables shouldn't be necessary, but higher voltage charging will be. 1000V at a minimum, but 1500V would make cabling easier.
Difficulties now become safety of higher voltage systems.
BMW Group, Daimler, Ford, Audi & Porsche JV for up to 350 kW CCS ultra-fast charging network along major highways in Europe
BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen Group with Audi and Porsche have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create the highest-powered charging network in Europe. The goal is the quick build-up of a sizable number of stations in order to enable long-range travel for batter...
No, Harvey, because they would still significantly increase frontal area of the vehicle. Aerodynamic crossbars would be better. Roof racks that are easy to remove and install would also encourage people to remove them when not used.
Study: LDV roof racks responsible for about 100M gallons of gasoline consumption per year
Roof racks on light-duty vehicles in the US were responsible for 0.8‰ (permille, parts per thousand) of light duty vehicle fuel consumption in 2015, corresponding to 100 million gallons of gasoline per year, according to a new study by a duo from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) a...
One detail the summary misses - apparently there will only be room for two in the back making this a 4-seater. Not even a 1/2 seat for someone small to squeeze into like the the '16+ Volt.
That's going to rule this vehicle out for a lot of people, unfortunately. There's a lot of 2-child families out there who occasionally need to squeeze a 3rd child back there.
Toyota doubles the electric range in the new version of Prius PHEV with 8.8 kWh pack
Toyota unveiled the new Prius Prime plug-in hybrid (PHEV) at the 2016 New York International Auto Show. Toyota expects the Prius Prime’s manufacturer-estimated 120 or above MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) to be the highest MPGe rating of any current plug-in hybrid. It also represents a subst...
I think this is the first substantial order of electric buses in the USA. Hopefully more come quickly!
Antelope Valley Transit orders up to 85 electric buses from BYD; first US all-electric public transit fleet
The board of directors of the Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) in California voted to award BYD a contract to manufacture up to 85 electric buses over a five-year period. Under the order from AVTA, BYD Motors will build and deliver a variety of all-electric bus models including a 40-foot...
No plug?
Honda to begin sales of hybrid Odyssey minivan in Japan on Friday
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. will begin sales of an affordably-priced hybrid version as well as the newly refreshed gasoline-powered version of the Honda Odyssey and Odyssey Absolute premium minivans on Friday, 5 February, at dealerships across Japan. (Earlier post.) The hybrid is a new addition to th...
HarveyD, you just need the right winter Tire and then you can have the best of both worlds - excellent snow traction and low rolling resistance. Check out the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2, for example.
There really ought to be a standardized test run on tires to rate rolling resistance, and it should be mandatory.
Study finds 6.3% spread in fuel economy obtained with maximum and minimum rolling resistance tires
A new report by University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) researcher Dr. Michael Sivak has found a 6.3% spread between the fuel economy obtained with maximum and minimum rolling resistance tires. At the average 2015 price of regular gasoline, the obtained fuel-consumption ...
"If you need more room, don't have a plug at home, do LOTS more highway driving get a Malibu Hybrid. Otherwise, a Volt maybe for you. YMMV."
But I need more room, have a plug at home and don't often drive more than 50 miles round trip away from home, but when I do, I often drive a LOT farther, so getting better efficiency when the engine is running is important.
2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid to start at $28,645; 47 mpg combined
The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid LT (earlier post) will be available this spring with a starting price of $28,645. With an all-new, hybrid powertrain that uses a slightly modified drive unit and electric motors used in the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, the Malibu Hybrid offers a GM-estimated 48 mpg city,...
Two questions:
1. Why doesn't the Volt, a smaller car get similar fuel economy in gas mode?
2. Why doesn't GM offer the Malibu with the Volt drivetrain? The larger size of the Malibu is much more appealing for those who often need to use the rear seats.
2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid to start at $28,645; 47 mpg combined
The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid LT (earlier post) will be available this spring with a starting price of $28,645. With an all-new, hybrid powertrain that uses a slightly modified drive unit and electric motors used in the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, the Malibu Hybrid offers a GM-estimated 48 mpg city,...
Wow - it only gets worse for VW. These are the same family of engines which VW initially contested the EPA statement.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-02/vw-prepares-to-fight-epa-s-latest-diesel-cheating-allegations
VW says 3.0L diesel issue extends to MY 2009-2016, not just MY 2014-2016
During a meeting yesterday with US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (ARB) officials, VW and Audi officials told the regulatory agencies that the issues the two agencies had raised in a 2 November Notice of Violation (EPA) and In-Use Compliance letter (ARB)...
Filipe, VW TDIs both with and without SCR were found to vastly exceed USA regulated NOx emissions levels on the road while on the dyno they failed.
Volkswagen AG to refit diesel vehicles with EA 189 EU5 engines; solution to be presented by end of October
Volkswagen AG announced that it will retrofit the some 11 million vehicles equipped with the 2.0-liter EA 189 Euro 5 diesel tainted by the software emissions defeat device. (Earlier post.) New vehicles with EU6 engines currently available are not affected by the cheat, Volkswagen said. The sc...
@Herman - LOL!
I think the main takeaway is that we need to accelerate decarbonization of the grid. With solar and storage pricing continuing to drop, it could start to happen very quickly. Just look at the recent news of solar costs in Austin, TX - less than 4c/kWh.
Researchers find Nissan LEAF creates less CO2 than Toyota Prius hybrid in west US and Texas, but more in N. Midwest
Regionally specific lifecycle CO2 emissions per mile traveled for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the US can vary widely based on grid emission factors (i.e., the “carbon footprint” of electricity production and use), according to a new study by r...
Unfortunately, it appears that Android users are not able to Pay with PlugShare yet...
AeroVironment and Recargo introduce Pay With PlugShare for West Coast Electric Highway’s fast charging network
AeroVironment and Recargo, developer of PlugShare, the most extensive map of electric vehicle charging stations, introduced a new smartphone-based easy payment option for EV drivers charging on the West Coast Electric Highway fast charging network in Oregon and Washington. EV drivers can now ac...
Unfortunately, it appears that Android users are not able to Pay with PlugShare yet...
AeroVironment and Recargo introduce Pay With PlugShare for West Coast Electric Highway’s fast charging network
AeroVironment and Recargo, developer of PlugShare, the most extensive map of electric vehicle charging stations, introduced a new smartphone-based easy payment option for EV drivers charging on the West Coast Electric Highway fast charging network in Oregon and Washington. EV drivers can now ac...
You guys are still missing the point of the study.
I don't think anyone is saying that MOAR RANGE!!!! wouldn't help.
But look at the charts. Now imagine that 50% remaining usable capacity is really you have left in winter conditions.
Now look at how many more miles you can make in two bands:
1. Workplace charging (L1 vs L2 not a huge difference).
2. Ubiquitous L1 charging.
In short, the range you have (whether due to capacity loss or weather conditions), the more charging infrastructure you have, the more you can drive your EV.
Another way to look at is that with just L1 charging everywhere, with 50% of the range you can drive almost as many miles as you can with a 95-100% battery and charging at home.
From personal experience I can tell you that I've had many scenarios where if I had even L1 workplace charging it would have enabled quite a few more trips without worry.
Berkeley Lab/UC Berkeley study shows EV batteries meet daily travel needs of 85%+ of US drivers even after 20% energy capacity fade; calls for new EOL criteria
A new study by researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and UC Berkeley shows quantitatively that EV batteries can continue to meet daily travel needs of drivers well beyond the 80% floor for remaining energy storage capacity that is commonly assumed. An open access...
Davemart, you're missing the point.
The point being that having simple 120V plugs available everywhere one parks significantly improves usable range of today's EVs today and tomorrow.
I'd love to add addition scenarios adding 5, 10, 20 and 30 minute Quick Charge stops, too.
I imagine that the biggest bang for the buck comes from the first 5-10 minutes of QC when charge rates are the highest.
Berkeley Lab/UC Berkeley study shows EV batteries meet daily travel needs of 85%+ of US drivers even after 20% energy capacity fade; calls for new EOL criteria
A new study by researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and UC Berkeley shows quantitatively that EV batteries can continue to meet daily travel needs of drivers well beyond the 80% floor for remaining energy storage capacity that is commonly assumed. An open access...
How does it compare to the regular EP422 which has been out for years?
I can confirm that at least the OEM EP422 that comes on the LEAF is much better than the supposedly LRR tires I replaced them with.
Bridgestone launches new tire in Ecopia fuel-efficient line-up
Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) launched the latest tire in its fuel-efficient Ecopia tire line, the Ecopia EP422 Plus tire. The Ecopia EP422 Plus tire is engineered with a combination of light and strong materials for greater fuel efficiency, giving consumers an extra 20 miles per tank. The...
"I would like to see more research with numbers attached to show how the efficiency of second life batteries declines in line with capacity reduction or aging."
Arnold, the efficiency of the batteries does not change any significant amount at all, unless you are using excessive high rates of charge or discharge which cause the pack to heat up excessively.
The internal resistance of a battery does go up as it ages, so there will be some reduction in efficiency, but at typical grid service loads of 0.5C to 1C, it should be just about negligible.
BMW i ChargeForward Program to demo contribution of intelligent EV charging to grid efficiency
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, BMW announced the BMW i ChargeForward Program—a pilot study to be undertaken by the BMW Group Technology Office, together with Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E). Working with a select group of BMW i3 drivers, BMW i ChargeForward will demonstrat...
CCG's track record in maintaining existing infrastructure is poor at best. It can take months to repair charging stations after being reported.
An unreliable charging station is not much better than not having one at all.
Car Charging Group raises $6M
Car Charging Group, Inc., the largest owner, operator, and provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging services, closed an offering and raised net proceeds of up to $6 million with current institutional shareholders. The offering consisted of convertible preferred securities with a conversion pr...
It was an exciting race. I'm looking forward to seeing how the cars evolve over the years as battery technology improves and allows for more power and higher speeds. I was a bit skeptical of how the car change would work out, but the way they did it worked out well.
Those curbs are dangerous! Nick Heidfeld luckily walked away from the crash without incident, but it's easy to see how it could have been worse with the curb launching his car into the air on the final corner.
Audi Sport wins 1st FIA Formula E race in Beijing
Lucas di Grassi, FIA Formula E Beijing (Audi Sport ABT Formula E Team). Click to enlarge. Audi factory driver Lucas di Grassi and the Audi Sport ABT Formula E team won the inaugural event of the new all-electric FIA Formula E Championship in Beijing. (Next weekend, di Grassi will return to t...
@Anthony - Today's < 100 mi EVs that can QC, can pick up 25 miles of range when QCd from a low state of charge on a 40-50kW QC station in 10 minutes. So with sufficient QC infrastructure situated so that one knows that they can rely on charging if they get low, current EVs are OK. With even a bit more battery, EVs will be able to even better take advantage of 40-50kW QC stations.
@Nick - availability of street charging especially in residential areas is definitely an issue for wide-spread adoption. Ultimately more workplace charging and larger battery packs will be required for wider adoption once it gets to that point.
For a lot of reasons, it's pretty reasonable to expect a mix of hybrids, PHEVs and EVs for the forseeable future. It will take 200+ mile affordable EVs along with 100 kW+ charging infrastructure, to really see widespread EV adoption.
ORNL researcher suggests that most consumers better off with <100-mile EV range until battery costs drop to $100/kWh
Until battery cost is cut down to $100/kWh, the majority of US consumers for battery electric vehicles (BEV) will be better off by choosing an electric vehicle with a range below 100 miles, according to a new study by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) researcher Zhenhong Lin. The research, ...
I'm no hydrogen FC fan, but to be fair, a single $1.66M hydrogen station can probably service a lot more cars than the charging stations being installed.
A single hydrogen station is probably equivalent (in terms of cars per day) to a dozen DC quick chargers. A single DC QC station costs about $60k to install ( see RMI article: http://goo.gl/4Spjbh )
That said, $1.66M would buy at least 30 QC stations - probably significantly more if you leverage economies of scale by installing multiple QC stations per location. $1.66M would buy you at least 300 L2 stations.
$50M would let you install at least 1,000 QC or 10,000 L2 stations. Installed at the right locations, you could cover the entire state in one fell swoop.
Pretty easy to see that charging stations make a lot more sense at this point to install given the number of plug-ins on the road today and the number of plug-ins available to purchase.
Really the only big hurdle now for plug-ins is the lack of an affordable 125mi+ EV with quick charging (about 50% more range than today's EVs. Once that becomes available (and all signs point to that happening within the next two years), it's game-over.
California Energy Commission approves $46.6M for hydrogen refueling and $2.8M for EV charging projects
The California Energy Commission gave final approval for nearly $50 million in grant awards for hydrogen refueling and electric charging construction projects recommended for funding in notices of proposed awards published in April and May. California’s zero-emission vehicle goal is to get 1.5...
I really wish that manufacturers were required to publish rolling resistance numbers in the USA so that one could compare different tires like they do in Europe.
It would make choosing tires a lot easier.
Continental refines Conti.eContact tire for hybrids
Continental has refined the Conti.eContact tire, originally launched in 2011 with electric vehicles in mind (earlier post), to meet the needs of hybrid models. Leveraging new technologies and processes, this new summer tire is narrower and larger, and is the first from Continental to obtain the...
This is really going to appeal to all those plug-in hybrid owners who can only charge at 16A max anyway.
Personally, I'd still pay a bit more for the 30A capable unit to future proof the install for future plug-ins.
ClipperCreek introducing $395 Level 2 EV charging station
ClipperCreek is introducing a $395 Level 2, 240V EV charging station, available for immediate delivery, directly from the factory in Auburn, CA. The LCS-20 is the first major brand Level 2 electric vehicle charging station to break through the $400 barrier. The unit comes with 22 feet of char...
While Nissan has earlier said that the hot-weather pack would be released late spring this year, so far there has been no confirmation that they have yet started shipping those batteries.
Nissan launches LEAF sales in Mexico; first company to sell a 100% electric vehicle there
Nissan launched LEAF in Mexico, making the battery-electric vehicle the first 100% EV to be marketed in Mexico. The presale started 4 June and will continue until its arrival on June 30. In Mexico, the Nissan LEAF will be available in a unique version with Around View Monitor that allows a pa...
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